Hinge-pin.



No. 68!,950. Patented Sept. 3, I90I. A. CLARK.

HINGE PIN.

Appl t fildN 30 1900) (No Model.)

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Mfinem es ATENT FICEO ANDREW CLARK, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

HINGE-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,950, datedSeptember 3, 1901.

Application filed November 30, 1900. Serial No. 38,258. (No model.)

To all whom it nutty concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented a newand useful Hinge-Pin, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hinge or connecting pins for the inner shoes ofmowing-machines. As now constructed no means are provided for anoscillatory horizontal adj ustment of the inner shoes of mowersindependent of the drag-bar adjustment, the necessity of whichindependent adjustment is shown by the fact that in most new mowersthere is sufficient lost motion in the hinge-pin connection to permitthe outer end of the floating bar to swing back or sag approximatelythree inches. As a result the cutterbar when at work is out of alinementwith the pitman and the draft increased and power wasted. With a machinehaving seen considerable service the draft and wasted power areproportionately increased.

My object, therefore, is to provide an eccentric-pin capable ofeffecting a horizontal oscillatory movement of the shoe to restore thecutter-bar to alinement with the pitman and of securing it in suchrelation.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and peculiarfeatures of construction and organization, as hereinafter described andclaimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings,-in which Figure 1 represents a topplan view of a portion of a mowing-machine, the same being sectioned todisclose my eccentric hinge-pin connection. Fig. 2 is an enlargedperspective View of said hinge-pin, the parts being detached. Fig. 3 isan enlarged vertical section taken on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an enlarged perspective View of a modified construction with theparts detached. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line V Vof Fig. 1.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the frame of a mowing-machine, 2 thedrag-bar thereof, and 3 the drag-bar head, shown in this instance asbifurcated to form a pair of bearingarms 4. In some instances thisbifurcation is not provided and a single hinge-pin is employed, suchpin, however, being of sufficient lengthto project at both ends from thedrag bar head.

5 designates the driven disk, and 6 the pitman, pivotally connected atone end to said disk and at its opposite end to the cutter-bar 7,mounted in the usual or any preferred manner on the finger-bar 8 andoccupying the usual relation with the forwardly-projecting guards 9.

l0 designates the inner shoe, carrying the corresponding end of thefinger-bar and provided, as usual, with arms 11 to receive theprojecting ends of the connecting hinge pin or pins 12, mounted in thedrag-bar head, the function of these pins as disclosed by their namebeing to permit the floating bar to be raised to an inoperative positionand also to hold it when inoperative position, so that the cutter-bar isin line with the pitman.

In practice the hinge-pin fits loosely enough in the bearings of even anew machine to permit the outer end .of the long drag-bar to sag-backapproximately three inches, which throws the cutter-bar slightly out ofalinement with the pitman and increases the draft and waste of power toproportionately that extent. This increase of draft and loss of power Iobviate by my improved hinge-pin, which will be made of varying formsand proportions to accommodate and be of quick and easy attachment toall of the approved mowing-machines in use. Preferably I provide anentirely new pin in place of the original pm. of course will be induplicate, each comprising a body portion 13, a head 14 at one end, andan eccentric stem 15 at the other end, the body portion being providedwith a recess 16 near the head, preferably, and the outer end of thestem with a diametric hole 17.

18 designates a sleeve of the same diameter as body portion 13 andeccentrically bored to correspond with and fit upon stem 15, so that itmay be so fitted upon said stem as to form in conjunction with thebodyportion a straight cylindrical pin of equal diameter throughout. Inits outer end the sleeve is provided with a plurality of diametricallyopposite holes 19, opposite pairs of which may be brought intosuccessive alinement with hole 17 in order that a spring cotter or pin20 may be utilized to secure the sleeve upon stem 15 in the de- Wheretwo pins are necessary, my pin sired relation. The pins may be fittedwith either their body portions 13 or sleeves 18 in arms 4. In thedrawings the forward arm in Fig. 1 is shown with the body portion 13 ofthe corresponding pin journaled therein, Whereas the sleeve 18 of theother pin is journaled in the rear arm, it being understood that in bothcases either the body portions or sleeves may be journaled in said armsif desired. In the former case the pin is locked rigidly in said arm bymeans of a key-block 21, fitting in recess 16 and in the mating recess22 in the arm. In the latter case the sleeve is free to rotate in thearm, being se cured upon the stem 15 by means of the cotter 20, asdescribed. In the last-named case the body portion 13 fits in the reararm 11 of the shoe and is keyed rigidly therein by the block 21 in themanner above described. In the former case the sleeve is journaled inthe front bearing-arm 11 of the shoe and when adj usted rotatably on thestem to the left, as the pin proper at the rear end of the shoe isturned to the right, acts to oscillate the shoe in a horizontal planefrom approximately the position shown by full lines to approximately theposition shown by dottedlines, thereby swinging the outer end of thefloating bar forward from the position shown by full to the positionshown by dotted lines in order that the cutter-bar may register with thepitman and operate with the minimum of friction. When the bearings areworn sufiiciently to require adjustment as above described, the outerend of the floating bar of course can be grasped and pulled forward tothe proper position in order to relieve the pins and sleeves of strain,that they may be quickly and easily adjusted without the use of tools.

Fig. 3 shows approximately how the adj ustment of the sleeve upon thestem effects the required change of position of the shoe, the stem inthis case representing the axis of movement. In the rear pin the sleeveis rotated to change the position of the stem, and consequently of thebody portion arranged eccentrically of the stem, the efi'ect being thesame in either case.

In some cases it may be desirable to use an eccentrically-bored sleeveupon the old pin,

in which case said pin must be recessed, as at 16, to receive the key21, as above explained, and be provided with a hole 17, like that ofstem 15, the sleeve fitting upon the pin and being secured thereto bymeans of a springcotter 20 in the manner already described.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced ahinge-pin for mowing-machines which embodies the features of advantageenumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I haveillustrated and described the preferred constructions thereof it is tobe understood that the form, proportion, detail construction, andarrangement of the parts may be varied in minor particulars Withoutdeparting from the essential spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hinge-pin for mowing-machines, comprising abody portion having aneccentricallyprojecting stem at one end, a sleeve corresponding in formand diameter to said body portion and eccentrically bored to fit uponthe stem and provide in conjunction with the body portion a straightcylindrical pin, and means for securing said sleeve upon the stem at thedesired point of adjustment, substantially as described.

2. A hinge-pin for mowing-machines, comprising a cylindrical bodyportion having a head at one end, and an eccentric stem at the oppositeend, a sleeve eccentrically bored fitting on said stem and provided witha plurality of holes, a pin to extend through certain of said holes andsaid stem to lock the stem and sleeve in the desired relation, incombination With arms in which said body portion and sleeve arejournaled, and means for locking one of said parts in its respectivearm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ANDREWV CLARK.

Witnesses:

H. C. Ronenns, G. Y. THORPE.

